April 13, 2011, 6:12PM

Authorities say a Mississippi man has been sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for making $90,000 in fraudulent claims after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The U.S. attorney's office in Jackson says 39-year-old Dennis L. Moore of Port Gibson was sentenced Wednesday. He pleaded guilty Jan. 21 to mail fraud for defrauding BP PLC and the... Full story »

April 12, 2011, 5:53PM

Four corporations that owned and operated the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship M/V Americana pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New Orleans Tuesday to illegally dumping sludge and waste overboard in a "magic pipe." The plea agreement, if approved by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, requires the companies to pay a $1 million penalty and be banned from doing business... Full story »

April 12, 2011, 2:30PM

Next Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion while it was drilling in BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident caused the deaths of 11 workers and started a months-long spill of oil into the Gulf. Here is what others are saying about the anniversary: Congress marks 1-year anniversary of Gulf... Full story »

April 12, 2011, 12:00PM

Responding to The Associated Press story "BP money bought local Gulf Coast officials millions in gear," reader sillyjilly011 commented in part: "I think every local and state agency that spent BP's money on personal items should have to refund the money to BP or sell everything thay bought and give the money to the locals that lost their job... Full story »

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade has created an "Oil Spill Crisis Map" that will allow Gulf Coast residents to report fishers out of work, endangered wildlife, oil on shore, oil sheens and other effects of the oil spill.

Reports can be made at the site, or by texting 504.272.7645, e-mailing bpspillmap@gmail.com, or Tweeting with the hashtag #BPspillmap. Eyewitness reports for the map require a description and location information such as an address or GPS coordinates.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation has opened the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, which will benefit communities most affected by the oil spill in Plaquemines, St. Bernard and lower Jefferson parishes. Donations can be made online at www.gnof.org

Fireboats try to extinguish the blaze on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig south of Venice after the rig exploded, leading to one of the worst maritime oil spill in history, on April 21, 2010. The spill is the focus of multiple films at the 2014 New Orleans Film Festival, including 'The Great Invisible,' 'Ecocide' and 'Oil and Water.' (Michael DeMocker...

JOHN MCCUSKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE The Discoverer Enterprise, seen Saturday at the site of the Deepwater Horizon explosion 50 miles offshore from Louisisana, will be used to place the LMRP, or the blowout preventer with a cap attached to a riser tube that will suction oil from the well and feed it to a ship on the surface. This is...

For Year in Photos page MATTHEW HINTON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE A heavily oiled bird that resembled a heron but was difficult to identify because of the coloring of the oil from the BP / Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill gets stuck on oil boom near Cat Island, Barataria Bay, Louisiana about 60 miles from New Orleans and 70 miles from the...